Baltimore Ravens (2-0) at San Diego Chargers (1-1): Ravens, 31-26

Notes on Baltimore:

Defense? Who needs defense? The Baltimore Ravens defense has been one of the league’s most porous against the pass through the first two weeks of the regular season. Granted their run defense still ranks first in the NFL (some things never change), but would you have believed me if I told you before the season that the team would allow 580 passing yards after two games? Doubtful.

This is a Ravens team we’re not accustomed to seeing. Instead of a stout defense and run-heavy offense we’ve been treated to the league’s second highest scoring offense and a Joe Flacco on pace to throw 40 touchdowns this season. Before I get carried away, let me point out that the Ravens are running the ball enough rank 4th in yards and 1st in touchdowns. That hasn’t changed.

But would you have guessed a shootout against the Chargers? I wouldn’t have.

Notes on San Diego:

Philip Rivers has put up some impressive numbers in his first two outings, but he’s not putting up the numbers we saw last season. He passed for 436 yards against the Ravens this weekend, but he also threw two interceptions. He already has three this season; that’s as many touchdowns as he’s thrown, too.

But while Rivers has thrown a few passes to opponents, he’s also thrown a boatload to Darren Sproles. The 5th year running back leads the team with 12 receptions for 167 yards and a touchdown; he hasn’t been at all effective running the ball against two solid run defenses - Baltimore and Oakland - averaging just 2.6 yards per carry, but he does have a score. In all, he’s put up some impressive numbers through two games: 216 yards from scrimmage and 2 touchdowns.

Rivers’ second favorite target, Vincent Jackson, hasn’t been a slouch either. He has 11 receptions for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns; he’s split his receptions rather evenly and he’s caught a touchdown in each of his two starts. Expect him to be one of the top receivers in the NFL at the end of the season.

Cleveland Browns (0-2) at Denver Broncos (2-0): Broncos, 27-6

Notes on Cleveland:

Getting lit up two weeks in a row probably isn’t how head coach Eric Mangini envisioned his team beginning the regular season. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happened. This week the Broncos - remember, this is a team that scored 12 points on Cincinnati a week ago thanks to a miracle - dropped 27 on Cleveland this week.

The team’s greatest weakness on offense is its running game. Though they’ve played two solid run offenses - Minnesota and Denver - it’s still a bit disappointing to see Jamal Lewis with just 25 carries for 95 yards. Come to think of it, it’s disappointing to see the team relying so heavily on Brady Quinn to carry the offense. He’s thrown just 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions so far, and it’s not too surprisingly considering his inexperience and the fact he’s been sacked 9 times already.

If anyone will emerge from this offense as a viable fantasy option - given the players who have had game time so far - I think the two safe bets are Braylon Edwards and Robert Royal. Don’t expect Edwards to put up fantastic numbers, but he does lead the team in receptions with 7; if a player touches the ball enough, he will gain yards and score touchdowns. As for Royal, Brady’s going to love him all season in the red zone; he already has 1 touchdown reception, and more are on the way.

Notes on Denver:

After watching Kyle Orton in the preseason there’s one thing I would have guessed: he’d throw at least one interception by now. Fortunately for Broncos’ fans, not only has Orton not thrown an interception, but his 2 touchdowns and 506 passing yards have helped lead the Broncos to a 2-0 record. He passed for 263 yards and 1 touchdown in this one, despite completing just 51.4 percent of his pass attempts.

Josh McDaniels has focused on playing small-ball for the most part this season, and that’s led to Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter getting plenty of touches; 47, so far. Buckhalter has been the more effective of the two, averaging 7.2 yards per carry and scoring a rushing touchdown. He’s also added 3 receptions for 41 yards, pushing his yards from scrimmage to 163. Not bad for a by-committee back.

New York Giants (2-0) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1): Giants, 33-31

Notes on New York:

The Giants have won their first two games of the season by a combined margin of 8 points. But a win is a win, no matter the margin of victory, so the Giants are currently sitting at 2-0 in their division after knocking off the Cowboys in the first of a three game road series. It was as back-and-forth as any game this season, the type of fantasy game all fantasy players relish.

Eli Manning passed for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns, sending 20 of his 25 completions to Mario Manningham and Steve Smith. In other words, no Plaxico, no problem. Manningham and Smith also combined for 284 of his passing yards and both his passing touchdowns. The Cowboys couldn’t contain either player, something defenses will struggle to do all season. Manningham and Smith currently have 29 receptions for 422 yards and 3 touchdowns. These guys are going to be as good as any receiving duo in the NFL this season.

Notes on Dallas:

Let’s start with the good; then we’ll get to Tony Romo. Marion Barber and Felix Jones rushed for 210 yards in the game, scoring 2 touchdowns and averaging a combined 8.4 yards per carry. The Giants held Clinton Portis to 62 yards last week. Dallas did not, in other words, face a terrible run defense. Props to Barber and Jones who now have 234 and 118 yards from scrimmage, respectively.

Indianapolis Colts (2-0) at Miami Dolphins (0-2): Colts, 27-23

Notes on Indianapolis:

How does Peyton Manning do it? The reigning NFL MVP needed less than 15 minutes to beat the Miami Dolphins on the road. Literally. The Dolphins controlled the ball for over 45 minutes in this game. Manning and the Colts needed 23 pass attempts and 11 runs to put up 27 points to beat the Dolphins, who ran more than twice as many (83) plays.

Manning was deadly with his throws, completing 14 passes for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dallas Clark lit it up as his go-to guy, catching 7 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. Consider those numbers for a moment: Manning averaged more than 21 yards per completion and Clark averaged 26.1 yards per reception. Unbelievable.

Manning might not have Drew Brees’ numbers, but watch out NFL: Manning doesn’t need half a season to hit his stride this year.

Notes on Miami:

This was a tough loss for Miami whose offense did almost everything right on offense this game. They converted on over 70 percent of their third-down attempts and controlled the ball for three quarters of the game. Unfortunately, they also scored just two touchdowns - both by Ronnie Brown, the star of Miami’s offense.

Chad Pennington averaged just 5.5 yards per attempt in the game and he threw an interception in the endzone to end the game. Despite Miami’s best efforts, which included just one punt and a score or near score on every drive, the Dolphins fell short this week.

That said, Ted Ginn had a great week, hauling in 11 passes for 108 yards. This isn’t a passing offense, though, so don’t be surprised if he breaks 100 receiving yards just once or twice more this season, if that.

St. Louis (0-2) at Washington (1-1): Washington, 9-7

Preseason predictions aren’t always correct, but the St. Louis Rams are turning into a prophesy: the team has scored 7 points in its first two games of the season. In addition, Steven Jackson is off to a solid start with 171 rushing yards and 15 receiving yards; as predicted before the season, he might be the team’s only viable fantasy option.

That said, wide receiver Laurent Robinson is turning some heads — or at least he should be. Through the first two games without Torry Holt, Robinson has racked up 141 receiving yards and the team’s only touchdown of the season. There’s no catch, either; Robinson has caught 5 and 6 passes in the first two games of the season, suggesting that, discounting Jackson, he is the most consistent fantasy option on the roster.

On Washington’s end, it appears the Redskins may be in for another long season on offense. Only St. Louis has scored fewer points this season (go figure) and Jason Campbell has just one passing touchdown and one interception. As noted before the season, unless he can turn it on and get his yards per attempt up — it was 6.9 this week — and this team in the end zone, the Redskins are going to struggle.

Having said that, his yards per attempt is up from last season’s dismal 6.4. His favorite target has been tight end Chris Cooley, something that is unlikely to change in the near future. Cooley has been on the receiving end of 7 completions in each of the first two games of the season; he also caught Campbell’s only touchdown pass.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) at Buffalo Bills (1-1): Buffalo Bills, 33-20

I wonder if the Buccaneers regret firing Jon Gruden. Tampa Bay has put up some great numbers on offense so far this season — 286 passing yards per game, for example — but the team is struggling mightily in one area: stopping anything on defense. Dallas and Buffalo put up a combined 67 points in the first two games of the season, and despite Byron Leftwich’s best efforts (like his 4 touchdown passes) the Bucs haven’t been able to keep up. They’ve been forced to throw the ball 92 times while running it about half as many times. 67-33, pass isn’t the ratio we expected before the season; Tampa Bay’s defense needs to step up to the plate soon. If they don’t, treat them like the Lions: if you have fantasy players going up against them, don’t hesitate to start them.

As Buffalo is concerned, the offensive coordinator switch prior to the regular season is looking like a great move. The team is this close to 2-0 if not for a foolish kick return against the Patriots week one. Trent Edwards is drawing some attention for his passing: he’s thrown 4 touchdowns through the first two games and his completion percentage is a sharp 64.3. He lit the Bucs up with the deep ball after Fred Jackson forced the team to respect the run with his 163 yards on 28 carries.

Speaking of which, Jackson is turning into a great RB1. His quickness and catching ability make him a great option in PPR leagues, and in all others he’s still impressive: 220 rushing yards and 108 receiving yards so far, and in neither game has been held to under 140 yards from scrimmage. He’s only scored one touchdown so far, but if this offense keeps it up he’ll see the endzone much more before this season is over.

Last note: the Bills have surrendered a lot of passing yards on defense. Keep that in mind this weekend when they face New Orleans.

Seattle Seahawks (1-1) at San Francisco 49ers (2-0): San Francisco, 23-10

How does one peg the Seahawks? They shut out St. Louis while tacking 28 on the board week one, but, then again, is that a real accomplishment? After all, a week later the ‘Skins held St. Louis to 7 points. While that was happening the ‘Hawks were busy getting shut out in the second half by San Francisco; they put up 10 points this week. Attribute it to Matt Hasselbeck’s injury if you must; I’m just saying, don’t expect division title contention this year.

From a fantasy perspective, there is one gem on the roster so far. Tight end John Carlson put up big numbers week one — including his two touchdown receptions — and this week he still managed 6 more receptions. He’s going to be a big target on offense all season, especially in the red zone. Aside from that, everyone took a step back this week. It may be attributed to Hasselbeck’s cracked rib, so it’s best to watch his health and production in the upcoming weeks and play it safe with key components on offense (like Nate Burleson, who dropped from 13 fantasy points last week to 5 this week).

I don’t want to say I called it just yet, but I wrote an article back in March praising head coach Mike Singletary and noting that he was steering the team in the right direction. So far so good, no?

Singletary has his team off to a 2-0 division record with tough defense and a smart, balanced offense. Frank Gore has 237 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season, while quarterback Shaun Hill has done his part, passing for 353 yards and 1 touchdown (and no interceptions). Gore padded his numbers this week with a 207 yard performance, but Hill was the star week one, racking up 209 passing yards and a touchdown.

All things considered, this team’s fantasy star is Frank Gore; he’s scored twice in each of the first two games of the season and has 294 yards from scrimmage so far. Everything after him is something of a crap shoot on a week-to-week basis. Vernon Davis and Isaac Bruce are the only two players besides Gore with more than 3 receptions so far and neither has a touchdown. If you’re a fantasy player, stick with Gore and leave the rest on waivers.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at Chicago Bears (1-1): Chicago, 17-14

Pittsburgh might be the league’s biggest disappointment through the first two games of the season. Not on defense, necessarily, but Big Ben, Fast Willy, and the rest of the un-nicknamed offense is off to a slow start. Ben has passed for 584 yards but just 2 touchdowns; Willie is averaging 2.4 yards per carry; and though both Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes have combined for 374 receiving yards, they have one touchdown between them.

From a fantasy perspective, only Holmes, with 14 receptions, 214 yards, and 1 touchdown, has wowed so far. Ward has 14 receptions, too, but this week he finished with just 64 yards; it doesn’t help that he’s still scoreless. As Roethlisberger is concerned, his 3 interceptions are frustrating fantasy owners more than his passing yards have impressed them. The Steelers must establish a running game at some point this season; Roethlisberger can be far too erratic otherwise.

Bears fans, I present you with an NFL quarterback, Jay Cutler. Number six put up solid numbers in his home debut against one of the league’s toughest defenses, passing for 236 yards, 2 touchdowns, and, more importantly, 0 interceptions. He also led the team to a win, setting up kicker Robbie “Good As” Gould with a 44-yard, game-winning field goal that left seconds on the clock.

The secret? Cutler didn’t take as many chances in this one. His passes were underneath, something the Steelers seemed almost content to give him. His decision-making kept the Steelers off-balance throughout, and kept the Bears driving. Chicago’s receivers still struggled at times to make catches, but one player emerged: Johnny Knox. He seemed to have the surest hands on the field, catching 6 passes for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns. Keep an eye on him and the rest of Chicago’s receivers to see who Cutler favors most in the weeks ahead.

Kansas City (0-1) at Baltimore (1-0): Baltimore, 38-24

Notes on Kansas City: It’s hard to assess whether Kansas City would have had more success on offense with Brodie Croyle in the game Sunday. One thing is certain, however: the defense struggled in a big way, allowing the Ravens to score 5 touchdowns.

On offense, the team wasn’t as bad as one might expect. The Chiefs put up 24 points, a pretty good total by any measure; no turnovers were committed and Croyle passed for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Where the team did struggle was when running the ball and on third downs. Larry Johnson picked up just 20 yards on 11 carries and the offense managed just 29 yards on 17 attempts. That’s not too surprising for since Kansas City was up against the Ravens, a team with a notorious rush defense. Struggling to run the ball, the Chiefs were forced into a lot of third down situations, of which they converted just 20 percent (2-of-10).

Kansas City Stud: Brodie Croyle – 16-of-24 for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns

Kansas City Dud: Larry Johnson – 11 carries for 20 yards and 1 reception for 6 yards

Notes on Baltimore: Whoa, Joe Flacco just passed the ball 43 times in the season opener; that’s eye-opening to say the least.

But before you assume the team was getting away from its bread-and-butter, keep this in mind: it also ran the ball 41 times when you count Flacco’s 5 scrambles. In other words, the Ravens were just overpowering the Chiefs in this one. Kansas City had no answers on defense, forcing one interception but allowing 3 passing scores and another 2 on the ground.

Ray Rice and the crew at running back were outstanding in this one. Rice carried 19 times, the number of times he’ll probably average this season, but managed to pick up 108 yards. He’s not a goal line back, but he is very explosive.

Willis McGahee was the most balanced of the backs. He carried 10 times for 44 yards and a score, but he added on that foundation with 4 receptions for 31 yards and another score. In all he finished with 75 yards and 2 scores.

Lastly, as the goal line and short yardage back LeRon McClain managed 6 carries for 19 yards and a score. He did add 3 receptions for 23 yards as one of Flacco’s targets.

Tight end Todd Heap was his favorite target of the day with 5 receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown; Michael Clayton (5 for 76 yards and 1 touchdown) was very similar. But note that the running backs and Heap combined for 14 of Flacco’s 26 completions – that’s a number to keep an eye on.

Baltimore Stud: Joe Flacco – 26-of-43 for 307 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception

Baltimore Dud: Derrick Mason – 4 receptions for 47 yards

Philadelphia (1-0) at Carolina (0-1): Philadelphia, 38-10

Notes on Philadelphia: The big news was Donovan McNabb’s injury. As most fantasy players know, McNabb was something of an injury risk on draft day, so this was a major scare. The good news is reports suggest he should be able to play next week. And that’s great, considering he played pretty solid in this game completing 10-of-18 for 79 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also added a rushing touchdown to with a 3 yard scamper in the third quarter before he left the game and was spelled by Kevin Kolb (7-of-11 for 23 yards).

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia running game did just fine. Brian Westbrook carried 13 times for 64 yards and LeSean McCoy added 46 rushing yards on 9 attempts. Note that McNabb was the only player to score on the ground in this one: no doubt he was the reason for success on offense, so his return and health is paramount to Philadelphia’s continued success.

Also note that tight end Brent Celek led the team in receptions. He had 6 on the day for 37 yards and 1 touchdown. No one else caught more than 3 passes, and that was running back Brian Westbrook (8 yards).

Philadelphia Stud: Donovan McNabb – 10-of-18 for 79 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception; 1 carry for 3 yards and 1 touchdown

Philadelphia Dud: DeSean Jackson – 2 receptions for 9 yards

Notes on Carolina: 7 turnovers is going to lose a game almost every time, especially when an opponent is able to take advantage: Philadelphia did just that in this game. Jake Delhomme looked atrocious, completing 7 of 17 for 73 yards – unless you count his interception count (3) and the yardage Philadelphia was able to pick up on returns (45 yards). He even lost a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown. So there’s that.

Carolina’s bread and butter is its running game, though. So how did it do? Well, mediocre is the first word that comes to mind: DeAngelo Williams, who scored 20 touchdowns last season, carried 14 times for 37 yards and 1 touchdown, though he did lead the team in receiving with 4 receptions for 42 yards.

The rest of the offense chipped in with 16 attempts for 49 yards.

Carolina Stud: DeAngelo Williams – 14 carries for 37 yards and 1 touchdown; 4 receptions for 42 yards

Carolina Dud: Jake Delhomme – 7 of 17 for 73 yards and 3 interceptions, 1 fumble lost

Tennessee at Pittsburgh and Miami at Atlanta Game Recaps

This is part one of a series of posts breaking down the week one games of 2009. The rest of the post-game articles are coming soon!

Tennessee (0-1) at Pittsburgh (1-0): Steelers, 13-10

Notes on Tennessee: Looking for someone to blame as a knee-jerk reaction in this one? Look no further than Rob Bironas. Tennessee’s kicker hit on just one of his three field goal attempts; in a game decided by three points, those field goals were the difference. (In case you’re wondering, Steelers’ kicker Jeff Reed hit both of his attempts.)

If you’re looking further than that, consider the running game. LenDale White and Chris Johnson combined for 23 attempts and 85 yards, neither averaging at least four yards per carry. That forced the passing game on Kerry Collins. Collins attempted 35 passes, completing about 63 percent and hitting on a touchdown. Unfortunately, he threw a foolish interception, something he must avoid in the future if the Titans are going to have success in these types of games.

Tennessee Stud: Justin Gage – 7 receptions for 78 yards and 1 touchdown

Tennessee Dud: Chris Johnson – 15 carries for 57 yards and 1 reception for 11 yards
Notes on Pittsburgh: Roethlisberger was forced to pass the ball a lot in this one while the running game struggled, amassing just 33 yards (36, counting Roethlisberger’s one carry). He ended up passing for for 363 yards and 1 touchdown in a game in which the offense scored just 13 points. Surprised? The Steelers’ quarterback also threw a pair of interceptions. Interestingly, neither resulted in points for Tennessee.

Hines Ward played quite well for the most part in this one, but he nearly costed Pittsburgh a chance to win after he fumbled the ball inside the 10 yard line. Aside from that gaffe he finished with 8 receptions for 103 yards. Overall, the team looked sloppy on offense, but the passing game contains loads of promise if Roethlisberger doesn’t turn the ball over so often.

Pittsburgh Stud: Santonio Holmes – 9 receptions for 131 yards and 1 touchdown

Pittsburgh Dud: Willie Parker – 13 carries for 19 yards and 1 reception for 5 yards

Miami (0-1) at Atlanta (1-0): Atlanta, 19-7

Notes on Miami: I wrote in a preview of this game that I didn’t think the Dolphins would score more than 20 in this game, but I didn’t expect the scoreboard to read “7” at the end, either. The problem was fumbles and turnovers: tight end Anthony Fasano caught 2 passes for 10 yards – and fumbled twice, both of which were lost. In the end, Miami turned the ball over 4 times (Chad Pennington threw a pick and lost a fumble), which was just too much to overcome.

The team was relatively effective running the ball, however: Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for 82 yards on 17 carries and the offense as a whole rushed for 96 yards in the game. That’s not a big total, but carries didn’t happen quite as often as Miami might have liked.

Overall, the offense was passed significantly more than it ran the ball: 30 pass attempts and 20 carries. That’s a 60-40 ratio. Also, that doesn’t include the four pass attempts that resulted in sacks, pushing the ratio closer to 2:1.

Miami Stud: Ricky Williams – 7 carries for 39 yards, 2 receptions for 19 yards and 1 touchdown

Miami Dud: Anthony Fasano – 2 receptions for 10 yards and 2 lost fumbles

Notes on Atlanta: Tony Gonzalez is going to give defenses headaches this season. Michael Turner is a huge threat running the ball, but Matt Ryan was working the play action to perfection in this one, often targeting Tony Gonzalez.

Turner himself accounted for just 65 rushing yards on 22 carries. That’s just a tad under 3 yards per carry, a total he’s probably not proud of. On the other hand, Miami was so focused on Turner they forgot about Ryan who passed for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is another game in which he flashed his potential in a big way: look out, NFL.

Atlanta Stud: Tony Gonzalez – 5 receptions for 73 yards and 1 touchdown

Atlanta Dud: Roddy White – 5 receptions for 42 yards

Before the Bears and Packers took the field on Sunday night, I recall thinking that I didn’t expect to see as much offense as the experts were projecting. Both teams have solid defenses and after watching the Packers in preseason, I thought they had played better than they had been credited.

That said, I didn’t expect to see the game I watched Sunday.

The score at halftime was 10-2 after Jay Cutler had thrown three interceptions – one of which was nearly returned for a touchdown – and Aaron Rodgers had been sacked in his own endzone by Danielle Manning. The scoreboard prompted the ever-optimistic Lovie Smith to comment before halftime, “We’re down three takeaways but only one score.”

Overall, the game was characterized as a defensive battle. Despite Jay Cutler’s many errant throws, the Bears had a legitimate shot to win the game in the fourth quarter. It was a heckuva football game to watch; if you were a fantasy player, however, there was no doubt some serious frustration.

In case you missed it or want some analysis, here are some important notes I took during the game.

Chicago Bears

• Jay Cutler was the worst of 2007-2008 in the first half. He wasn’t comfortable in the pocket (or “standing tall”, as Chris Collinsworth noted), and his throws were rushed. His movement in the pocket had all the markings of his having “happy feet”; furthermore, when he was running away from pressure, he tried to force throws, which led to two of his three interceptions.
• The Bears need help at wide receiver. Sign someone, trade for someone, do something. This is not a good group of players, at least when based on this game. Players were dropping passes, cutting routes off, and, at least from an outsider’s perspective, running poor routes or the wrong routes in some cases. Not making these mistakes could have been the difference for Chicago in this game.
• The Bears offensive line struggled throughout, but especially in the first half. The Packers brought a lot of good blitz packages, but the amount of pressure Jay Cutler was under overwhelmed him. Chicago must do better to pick up blitzers and recognize blitzes.
• The game-plan in the first half was alarmngly run-heavy. I don’t know if Lovie Smith wanted to show off his new quarterback or whether he wanted to take the Packers by surprise; either way, it didn’t work. Chicago has a great running attack, and Matt Forte is a back who gets stronger with more carries. Balance the approach and set up the run with the pass; the Bears did that to open the second half and wound up scoring a touchdown in under five minutes. Better yet, Cutler had better protection (because Green Bay couldn’t pass-blitz with confidence), and he was able to complete two big passes that accounted for 60 yards and a touchdown.
• Earl Bennett is going to be a very big part of this offense. The Packers focused on keeping the ball out of Greg Olsen’s hands and were successful, but they struggled to stop Cutler from throwing to Bennett, who finished with 7 receptions for 66 yards.
• Devin Hester is for real as a wide receiver. He was at his best when the team threw him the ball with at least five yards separating him from a defender. His speed and agility in the open field were awesome to watch and he made the Packers pay on several occasions, finishing with 90 receiving yards and a touchdown. He’s the playmaker of this offense.

Green Bay Packers

• The 3-4 is looking great. Green Bay brought blitzes that Chicago wasn’t ready to defend and forced Cutler into making throws he shouldn’t have attempted. The defensive line and linebacking corps were outstanding, especially at tackle where Cullen Jenkins demanded attention. The Packers were saved by the defense in this game.
• The offense sputtered out of the gate, but finished well. Aaron Rodgers was under tremendous pressure throughout most of the game, but after Brian Urlacher went down with an injury, the team was able to run the ball effectively and balance the attack. Expect a better game next week – if not, this could be a long season.
• Right tackle Allen Barbre needs to get better or get replaced. Adewale Ogunleye made him look foolish throughout the game, dominating him in every situation. He doesn’t have the athleticism to deal with an elite pass rusher like Ogunleye, and that weakness was on full display in this game. Green Bay needs to find an answer to this huge question mark.
• Greg Jennings is going to light up defenses all season long – again. He was relatively quiet in the first half, but he exploded onto the scene in the fourth quarter, catching 3 passes for 69 yards and the go-ahead touchdown; in addition, he made a diving grab in the endzone to give the Packers two more points.
• Donald Driver didn’t look as solid as in recent seasons. He had 4 receptions for 39 yards in the game, but his drops were much more telling. He wasn’t hanging onto passes as he should have, and the Packers missed some opportunities because of it. Was it an anomaly? Probably. He’s one of the most sure-handed players in the division; he should play better in the future.
• Jordy Nelson wasn’t a receiving target often. He didn’t have a catch in the game, despite being thrown to twice. Both times he had a shot at catching the ball, but he didn’t make the play. He’ll need to prove he’s more than a punt returner and kick returner, though, as a side note, he looked pretty good in that capactity.
• Ryan Grant looked more explosive than last season. He didn’t look like he would outrun a host of defenders, but he moved with a purpose and looked very good in the game. Despite just 16 carries, he finished with a respectable 61 yards and 1 touchdown.

Overall, the Packers squeaked out an important early-season home win and Aaron Rodgers proved he can play very well under pressure. Jay Cutler’s season is off to a slow start, but his play at the end of the first half and into the second half showed a lot of promise.

The biggest thing both teams need to fix before problems are exacerbated: the pass protection, which kept both quarterbacks scrambling and making errant throws.

The last picks of the first round …

21. Cleveland Browns - Alex Mack - C - California - B+

Cleveland fans in Radio City Music Hall seemed to be unhappy with this pick, but I like it. The Browns were very smart to trade as often as they did, acquiring more late round draft picks along the way. Mack is the best center in this draft and the Browns could use a good offensive lineman.

22. Minnesota Vikings - Percy Harvin - WR - Florida - B-

Character issues make this pick a little bit risky, but Minnesota needed a wide receiver and they found a talented one. Harvin could wind up being a bust if he can’t keep his character issues under control, but if he can, he’ll be a great player for the Vikings. Now the team needs a quarterback.

23. Baltimore Ravens (from New England Patriots) - Michael Oher - OT - Ole Miss - A+

I love Michael Oher and am surprised he lasted this long; unbelievable value. The Ravens just bolstered the offensive line, drafting a top three offensive tackle with the 23rd pick. Baltimore needed help at tackle, and this was the perfect pick at 23. I’ll bet you Joe Flacco is wearing a very wide smile somewhere.

24. Atlanta Falcons - Peria Jerry - DT - Ole Miss - A-

The Atlanta Falcons got good value with this pick. Jerry is a very talented player and he’ll be great in the Falcons’ system. The Falcons were prioritizing the interior of the line going into the draft, and Jerry will work well in Atlanta.

25. Miami Dolphins - Vontae Davis - CB - Illinois - A

Excellent value for the Dolphins. He has immense talent and should have been off the board much earlier, in my opinion. Davis was probably the best player on their board; he’s definitely worth a pick at 25 overall.

26. Green Bay Packers (from New England Patriots) - Clay Matthews - OLB - USC - B

I love this pick and give it an “A.” Why then does it say “B” above? Because I don’t like what Green Bay gave up to acquire Matthews - their 2nd round pick and two 3rd round picks. Still, I love Matthews and fills another glaring hole in the defense, leaving only strong safety unfilled in this draft (at least as far as starters are concerned).

27. Indianapolis Colts - Donald Brown - RB - Connecticut - B+

I’m a bit surprised the Colts passed on Wells, but Brown is a fine running back to draft. I think the Colts needed help at running back, and Joseph Addai is looking more and more like an average running back. Brown will be great out of the backfield as a receiver, though he needs to work on certain facets of his game (his blocking and interior running game). Don’t expect a whole lot of action out of Brown in his first season.

28. Buffalo Bills - Eric Wood - C - Louisville - B

I think this pick was a bit of a reach for the Bills - Wood was a second rounder, in my opinion - but that’s not really fair. Wood is an excellent center prospect, and even though he may have been available later, he’ll fit in well with Buffalo. Nice pick by the Bills.

29. New York Giants - Hakeem Nicks - North Carolina - A-

The Giants really needed help at wide receiver going into this draft, and Nicks has immense potential. He’s a playmaker who is going to an ideal situation where he’ll have a very good quarterback throwing him the ball. We’ll see how his fantasy value increases as training camp approaches.

30. Tennessee Titans - Kenny Britt - WR - Rutgers - A-

Tennessee has needed help at wide receiver for a long time; Britt will be a very welcome addition to the offense. While I’m not sure Vince Young will ever (or should) start again in Tennesee, Britt would be great with him. He has great hands and can catch passes that aren’t perfect.

31. Arizona Cardinals - Chris Wells - RB - Ohio State A+

“Beanie” Wells was an excellent value at 31; more than that, he fills a real need in Arizona. Edgerrin James can expect a pink slip at some point this offseason, and Wells will be great alongside Tim Hightower in the Cardinals offense.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers - Evander Hood - DT - Missouri - B+

The Steelers love defense and Hood will be good in the interior of the line. Good pick by the Steelers, nabbing an excellent tackle with the last pick of the first round. Just more evidence the Steelers will always have a great defense.

More analysis coming in the upcoming week. Remember, this is all knee-jerk reaction, so try not to criticize me too much!

More picks and analysis …

11. Buffalo Bills - Aaron Maybin - DE - Penn St. - B+

Aaron Maybin is one of the guys Buffalo wanted going into the draft. He’s a great pass rusher who will get to the quarterback a lot in the NFL. My biggest problem is his size - he’s under 250 pounds and until he puts on some more bulk, I don’t think he’s an everydown starter.

12. Denver Broncos - Knowshon Moreno - RB - Georgia - B-

I see this pick as a bit of a reach, especially considering Denver’s defensive needs. But the team does need to get younger and more talented at running back and this is certainly one way to do it. Moreno should have some success with the Broncos year one.

13. Washington Redskins - Brian Orakpo - DE - Texas - B+

This pick fills a need and since Orakpo was probably the top player on Washington’s board, I think it was a very good pick. He can play end in the 4-3 and he has immense quickness. I thought he’d go to a 3-4 team to play OLB, but I still like the pick.

14. New Orleans Saints - Malcolm Jenkins - CB/S - Ohio St. - A+

Jenkins is one of the most versatile players in this draft, and he’ll be a welcome addition to this secondary, especially considering the absence of Mike McKenzie. New Orleans needed to boost its defense and this was an obvious pick. Outstanding selection by the Saints.

15. Houston Texans - Brian Cushing - OLB - USC - B+

Cushing is a very good linebacker with a great work ethic, and he’s a very coachable player who Gary Kubiak is going to like a lot. The only real issue in my mind is where he’ll peak in the NFL. He’s going to work his tail off, but will he have the talent? I think so, and so does Houston. Good pick, Kubes.

16. San Diego Chargers - Larry English - DE/LB - Northern Illinois - A-

Good pick by the Chargers, considering where they stand at linebacker. Shawn Merriman has dealt with injuries and his contract is up soon; part of me thinks they’re questioning his recovery a bit. English can step up and make a difference on defense and his motor doesn’t quit.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Browns) - Josh Freeman - QB - Kansas St. - C+

I realize the Buccaneers didn’t give up much to ensure drafting Freeman, but I’m not sold on him as a quarterback. I don’t think he’s ideal for Tampa Bay’s offense because he lacks excellent passing accuracy. Not a great pick, in my mind.

18. Denver Broncos - Robert Ayers - DE - Tennessee - A

Excellent pick for a new 3-4 defense. The Broncos needed to improve the defensive line and this was the best way to go about it, given the situation and the players left on the board. Ayers will be an instant starter and a great boon to the Broncos defense.

19. Philadelphia Eagles (from Browns) - Jeremy Maclin - WR - Missouri - A

They got Donovan McNabb “a new toy,” to put it in the words of Rich Eisen. Very true, Rich. McNabb (and eventually Kevin Kolb or another successor) needs a good receiver he can count on; better yet, this was a very good value pick. I thought Maclin would have been off the board long ago, but Philadelphia got lucky and wound up getting him at the tail end of the top 20.

20. Detroit Lions - Brandon Pettigrew - TE - Oklahoma St. - A-

I was a bit surprised to see the Lions not use a first round pick on the offensive line or defense, but I like the pick for this reason: Stafford, like all rookies and young quarterbacks, is going to love having a big target. Pettigrew is going to be a great blocking tight end and a solid receiver. I really like this pick, even though it wasn’t the one I thought they’d make.

Recapping the first 1/3 of the first round of the draft …

1. Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford - QB - Georgia - B+

Matthew Stafford wasn’t the safest pick the Lions could make, but he might have been the only obvious one in this draft. Stafford will be sacked a lot during his first NFL season; hopefully he’ll be able to handle it and learn from it. Too many quarterbacks have been drafted first overall by teams that couldn’t surround them with a supporting cast; in a lot of those situations, the quarterback went “bust.”

2. St. Louis Rams - Jason Smith - OT - Baylor - A+

Excellent pick by the Rams. The Rams need to bolster the offensive line before they can address the skill positions (though no doubt they will later in the draft), and Jason Smith has the potential to guard the blindside of whoever is playing quarterback for the next decade or more. St. Louis has perhaps the least talented offense in the NFL, but it’s essential the Rams start with the foundation.

3. Kansas City Chiefs - Tyson Jackson - DE - LSU - B

Tyson Jackson is a great pick, but I think the Chiefs may have reached a bit because I think Jackson would have been on the board later in the top ten. Having said that, Jackson will bolster this defensive line. I listed DE as the Chiefs biggest need - it’s filled now. Fans will also like that he’s a plug-and-play type player who will make an impact year one.

4. Seattle Seahawks - Aaron Curry - OLB - Wake Forest - A-

I really like this pick for Seattle. Curry has loads of talent and fills the gap left by Julian Peterson. Seattle’s starting linebackers are now among the most talented in the NFL, and I think that if the Seahawks can afford it, they’ll have one of the best corps in the league for years to come.

5. New York Jets (from Cleveland) - Mark Sanchez - QB - USC - B+

New York needed a quarterback and they got one. Sanchez has a lot of potential in New York’s offense, and it looks like the Jets have a lot of faith in him. I didn’t think anyone had to move up this high to draft Sanchez, but when you want to get a guy you believe is a franchise quarterback, does it matter? Good pick by the Jets. I feel they reached a bit by moving up this high (which is why I gave them a B+), but Jets fans are definitely excited.

6. Cincinnati Bengals - Andre Smith - OT - Alabama - B

This is a classic “boom” or “bust” pick. A lot of experts think he’s immature (evidenced by poor interviews) and his weight fluctuates, but he has a lot of talent. If he applies himself he’ll be a top tackle in the NFL for years. I think the media overplayed a lot of his weaknesses; he has incredible strength and natural athleticism. Good pick for the Bengals here.

7. Oakland Raiders - Darrius Heyward-Bey - WR - Maryland - C+

The Oakland Raiders made an Al Davis pick. They addressed a major need with Heyward-Bey, but he’s probably not the best wide receiver in this draft. I don’t doubt his talent - and I definitely can appreciate his speed - but this was reach in my book. I think the Raiders could have moved down and got him closer to the second half of the draft.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars - Eugene Monroe - OT - Virginia - B-

Jacksonville got a top three offensive tackle in the draft (and the third off the board). He’ll be protecting the blindside of David Garrard and opening holes for Maurice Jones-Drew, so I think the pick was a good one. That said, I don’t think OT was the team’s most glaring need, and I think the team should have invested in a great DT like B.J. Raji.

9. Green Bay Packers - B.J. Raji - DT/NT - Boston College - A-

Thanks to this pick, the Packers now have a very solid defensive line around which the 3-4 will operate. Raji will get plugged in as the nose tackle in the new scheme, leaving the Packers with just a few pieces of the puzzle left to fit - OLB and FS, specifically. I think Orakpo would have been another worthwhile pick, as he could have played OLB. Still, I like the pick and Thompson has made a lot of good decisions for the Packers in the past.

10. San Francisco 49ers - Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech - A

Some people like to question Crabtree’s speed, but he’s the best wide receiver in this draft. Besides, he has football speed - just watch the tape. San Francisco needs to bolster its passing game and Crabtree affords them some. Now, of course, the team could use a quarterback who can throw the ball.

Summary

Denver rallied in the fourth quarter to score 21 points and spoil Brady Quinn’s first NFL start, improving its record to 5-4 with a much-needed victory. Speaking of Quinn, the Browns’ 2007 late first round draft pick looked very good against the Broncos, passing for two touchdowns. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to lead the Browns to a victory when a fourth down pass intended for Kellen Winslow went through the tight end’s hands and sealed victory for Denver.

When Denver had the Ball

Looks like the offense is back on track, though the team continues to see critical losses at running back. Only days after putting Andre Hall and Michael Pittman on the IR, the team lost Selvin Young and Ryan Torrain, both in the first half.

Jay Cutler did his best Brett Favre impression, making gutsy throws and pushing the Broncos offense to its limit. He finished with a career high 447 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception in the game and now has 2,616 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions this season. Since Denver’s week 8 bye, Cutler has passed for 754 yards and 4 touchdowns, which is more than or as much as he had passed for in the three games prior. Cutler added to his stats with 7 rushes for 29 yards, most of which came in the fourth quarter on an 18 yard scamper down the middle of the field.

Torrain led the Broncos rushing attack, which wasn’t so much as an attack as it was a minimal effort, carrying 12 times for 68 yards and 1 touchdown before being sidelined. Young was able to carry just once (picking up 2 yards), and the Broncos offense finished with 123 yards. Fullback Peyton Hillis, who last week had 7 receptions for 116 yards, rushed 8 times for 24 yards. His moment of glory in this game was in the fourth quarter when he carried the ball on fourth-and-short and picked up the first down.

Denver’s receiving corps was very effective in the game and Cutler did a good job spreading the ball between his two starting wide receivers and two tight ends. Eddie Royal led the team (by quite a bit, actually), taking his 6 receptions 164 yards and scoring 1 touchdown. Brandon Marshall had a good game, as well, with 6 receptions for 89 yards and 1 touchdown. Royal has caught at least 6 passes in 5 of the 8 games he has played this year; he has 52 receptions and 625 yards on the year. Marshall has 57 receptions and 714 yards. Tight end Tony Scheffler had 4 catches for 94 yards, while Daniel Graham took his 3 catches 50 yards, nabbing Cutler’s other touchdown pass.

When Cleveland had the Ball

The Cleveland offense had a good day and Brady Quinn connected on 23 of his 35 attempts for 239 yard and 2 touchdowns. He had thrown 8 career passes prior to this game, all of which he threw last season. His favorite target, by a great margin, was tight end Kellen Winslow, who was on the receiving end of 10 passes.

Cleveland’s ground game was contained for the most part, though two runs stand out and improve their overall numbers substantially. Running backs Jamal Lewis and wide receiver Josh Cribbs had two 20+ yard carries that add up to 56 of 160 rushing yards. Still, Denver struggled to contain the run, which greatly helped Brady Quinn. Jamal Lewis led the way with 60 yards on 19 carries, scoring the Browns’ only rushing touchdown.

As noted previously, Winslow handled 10 receptions for 111 yards, catching both of Quinn’s touchdown passes. This was the first game since week 1 that Winslow caught a touchdown. Donte Stallworth was second on the team with 4 receptions for 48 yards, while no one else caught more than 3 receptions.

Where the Teams Now Stand

Denver secured its spot on top of the AFC West for at least one more week with the win. Denver plays at Atlanta next week.

Cleveland slipped to 3-6 and third in the AFC North. Their next game is at Buffalo next Monday night.

In case you were unable to read all of them or you don’t want to spend the time finding them in the archives, here is a list of week 9’s recaps. Each recap is written with a fantasy football spin, spitting out plenty of statistics from the game and relaying some interesting trends occurring among the individual players. Also included with each game listed below is a fantasy trend or statistic I’ve labeled the “number to know”; basically, it’s what I found most interesting from the given game.

Houston at Minnesota

Number to Know: Owen Daniels has finished with at least 60 receiving yards in 5 of his last 7 games, but has caught at least one touchdown in just one game this season.

Green Bay at Tennessee

Number to Know: Six of Kerry Collins’ completions were to running back Chris Johnson, who led the team in that category and yards, with 72 on the day.

Detroit at Chicago

Number to Know: Calvin Johnson led the Lions receiving corps with 8 receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown.

New York (Jets) at Buffalo

Number to Know: Trent Edwards has yet to throw more than one touchdown pass in a game this season and has six on the year.

Jacksonville at Cincinnati

Number to Know: Two of David Garrard’s streaks were killed in this game: his five consecutive game streak of at least one touchdown and the same length streak with no interceptions.

Baltimore at Cleveland

Number to Know: Derek Anderson has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in six consecutive games and seven of eight overall.

Tampa Bay at Kansas City

Number to Know: Earnest Graham has not carried for at least 100 yards since September, though this was his best total (61 yards) in the time since.

Arizona at St. Louis

Number to Know: The Rams are 2-1 in games in which Marc Bulger does not throw an interception and 0-4 in games he does.

Miami at Denver

Number to Know: Jay Cutler has thrown at least one interception in six of his last seven starts and at least one touchdown pass in every game he has played this season.

Dallas at New York (Giants)

Number to Know: Eli Manning has thrown at least one touchdown in each of his last seven starts.

Atlanta at Oakland

Number to Know: This was the first time since week two that Roddy White finished with fewer than 90 receiving yards (he had 54); it also snapped a three game 100-yard streak.

Philadelphia at Seattle

Number to Know: Seneca Wallace was 12-of-28 for 79 yards in the final 58 minutes and 11 seconds of play.

New England at Indianapolis

Number to Know: Peyton Manning has failed to throw a touchdown pass in just one game this season and has thrown at least 2 touchdowns in four of his past five starts.

Pittsburgh at Washington

Number to Know: Chris Cooley has finished games with at least 50 receiving yards in 6 of his last 8 starts but has just 1 receiving touchdown this season.